With a population of 1.2 billion people, India has just one national with first hand experience of spaceflight. Rakesh Sharma, a now retired Indian Air Force wing commander in 1984 spent eight days in space aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7. This account of his spaceflight was recorded at this home in the Nilgris region of India in August 2013.
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Really enjoyed this interview with such an eloquent and interesting man. Very unassuming and an example to others. Didn’t appreciate the collaboration with Russia and the difficulties that caused for the Indian prospective astronaughts, especially walking miles a day through snow.. Thanks for this insight Gurbir.
Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma is a national hero; an inspiration to a billon plus Indians. Wish my two and half year old son follows his footsteps…
Excellent interview.
Encouraging, heart-warming, inspiring, and an excellent research source. Many thanks.
Donald M. Scott NASA-AESP Retired
PS. One of the wonderful trivia items from this mission is that, in the middle of the cold war, the two crews named themselves for Star Trek species. In Space, there is only one Earth.
Wonderful interview! I happen to know him since I was a child as my father was in the forces, as well. We have been very close family friends. I was fortunate that he gave me the first day cover, as well as a picture of him in the space shuttle, which I still have 35 years later.